Driving in Sierra Leone, whether you’re a daily commuter or a commercial operator, is governed by a comprehensive piece of legislation: The Road Traffic Act, 2007. This Act was established to consolidate and update all laws related to road traffic, vehicle standards, and driver conduct.
Understanding your responsibilities under this Act is essential for staying safe, legal, and avoiding hefty fines or penalties. This guide breaks down the most important sections for drivers and vehicle owners.
🚗 Part 1: Vehicle Registration and Licensing
Before you even turn the key, your vehicle must be legally registered and licensed.
- Registration is Mandatory: A person is not allowed to own or drive a motor vehicle or trailer unless it is registered with the Licensing Authority. The Authority acts as the central registrar for all vehicles and licences in the country.
- Identification Marks (Licence Plates): Upon registration, your vehicle will be assigned an identification mark. It is an offense to use a vehicle on the road without this mark properly fixed.
- Obscured Plates: You also commit an offense if your identification mark is obscured or not easily distinguishable.
- Penalties: Using an unregistered or unlicensed vehicle on a road can lead to a fine up to Le200,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.
The Act also details provisions for “trade licences” for businesses like motor vehicle manufacturers, testers, and dealers.
👤 Part 2: Obtaining Your Driving Licence
The Act sets clear rules for who is permitted to drive and how they must qualify.
Age and Application
You cannot drive a motor vehicle on a road unless you hold a valid driving licence authorizing you to drive that specific class of vehicle.
When applying, the following minimum age limits apply:
- 18 years: For private cars and goods or cargo vehicles.
- 21 years: For public service vehicles and heavy trucks.
Testing and Fitness
To be granted a licence, you must satisfy the Licensing Authority that you have:
- Passed the prescribed test of competence.
- Met physical fitness requirements. Applicants must declare if they are suffering from any disease or disability that could make their driving a danger to the public. A licence can be refused if the applicant is found to be suffering from such a condition.
Learner’s Permits
For those learning to drive, the Licensing Authority may grant a learner’s driving permit. When driving with a learner’s permit, you must:
- Be accompanied by a licensed driver who is sitting next to you for instruction.
- Display the prescribed plates or discs (e.g., “L” plates) conspicuously at the front and rear of the vehicle.
🔧 Part 3: Vehicle Roadworthiness and Safety
Keeping a vehicle in a safe, roadworthy condition is a legal requirement, not just a suggestion. The Act mandates periodic tests for vehicles.
- Frequency of Tests: Examinations must be conducted:
- Every six months for commercial vehicles.
- Once every year for private vehicles.
- Purpose of Tests: The examination is to confirm the vehicle meets prescribed construction standards and that its condition will not “involve a danger of injury to any person or damage to property”.
- Certificate of Fitness: If your vehicle passes the examination, it will be issued a certificate of fitness, which is valid for a period not exceeding one year.
- Unfit Vehicles: A vehicle examiner or police officer has the power to prohibit the driving of an unfit motor vehicle on a road. Driving a vehicle in contravention of such a prohibition is an offense.
- Overloading: The Act also gives authorized persons the power to weigh vehicles. If a vehicle is found to be overloaded, the excess load must be offloaded at the cost of the person in charge.
🚦 Part 4: Key Road Safety Rules and Offenses
Part X of the Act outlines the most critical road safety provisions and offenses. Breaking these rules can lead to severe penalties.
Dangerous Driving
You commit an offense if you drive a motor vehicle dangerously on a road. This is defined as driving that “falls below what is expected of a competent and careful driver” or driving a vehicle in a state that a competent driver would know is dangerous.
Penalties are severe and scale based on the outcome:
- No/Minor Bodily Injury: A fine up to Le200,000, imprisonment for up to 9 months, or both.
- Aggravated Bodily Injury: A fine between Le250,000 and Le500,000, imprisonment for 1 to 2 years, or both.
- Death Occurs: Imprisonment for a term of not less than 3 years.
Driving Under the Influence (Alcohol or Drugs)
- It is an offense to drive or attempt to drive while “under the influence of alcohol or drugs to such a degree as to be incapable of having proper control”.
- You are legally considered to be under the influence if your blood alcohol concentration is 0.08% or more.
- A police officer with reasonable cause can require you to provide a specimen of breath for a breath test.
- Failing to provide a specimen without a reasonable excuse is an offense.
Seat Belts and Child Safety
- Adults: Any person aged 18 or above must wear a seat belt, whether driving or sitting in the front or rear seat.
- Children:
- It is an offense to drive with an unaccompanied child of five years or under in the front seat.
- It is an offense if a child between five and eighteen years is in the front seat and not wearing a seat belt.
- It is an offense if a child under 18 is in the rear of the vehicle and not wearing a seat belt.
Motorcycle Safety
- Any person who rides or is a passenger on a motorcycle must wear a protective crash helmet.
- It is an offense to carry more than one other person on a motorcycle, unless it is constructed or adapted for it.
Parking Violations
It is an offense to park a motor vehicle on:
- The verge or shoulder of a road.
- A footway.
- A pedestrian crossing.
- A place reserved for the physically challenged.
👮 Part 5: Enforcement and Penalties
The Act gives police officers and authorized persons specific powers to enforce these rules.
- Power to Stop: A person driving a motor vehicle or riding a cycle must stop on being required to do so by a police officer or authorized person.
- Power to Request Documents: You must produce your driving licence for examination when required by a police officer or vehicle examiner. This must be done immediately or within 24 hours.
- Power to Arrest: A police officer may arrest without a warrant the driver of a vehicle who commits an offense like dangerous or careless driving within the officer’s view.
Spot Fines
For certain offenses, a police officer (of the rank of Inspector or above) or an authorized person may impose a spot fine.
- If you pay the spot fine, no prosecution will be brought against you for that specific offense.
- If you deny the offense or fail to pay, the case will be processed for court.
Disqualification (Penalty-Points System)
The Act establishes a penalty-points system to disqualify habitual traffic offenders.
- After a conviction in court, the Authority will stamp the appropriate points on the driver’s licence.
- A driver who accumulates 11 or more points within a 3-year period will be disqualified from driving for at least one year and will have to pass another driving test to get a new licence.
Your Responsibility
The Road Traffic Act, 2007, is extensive, and this guide only covers the key highlights. As a road user, it is your responsibility to be aware of and comply with all traffic laws. Observing these rules not only helps you avoid fines and penalties but also contributes to the safety of everyone on Sierra Leone’s roads.
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